Ex-boyfriend charged with sleepout murder

CRIME SCENE: Police examine the sleepout at Cotton Pl, Papakura, where a woman's body was found.

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ALICIA MCCALLION: The 23-year-old was found dead at her home in Papakura.

JOHN SELKIRK / Fairfax NZ

CHARGED: Karl Eddy appearing at the Manukau District Court.

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The ex-boyfriend of a 23-year-old woman has appeared in court charged with her murder.

Karl Eddy, 39, appeared in the Manukau District Court today charged with the murder of Alicia McCallion who was last week found dead by family members in the sleepout of their home in Cotton Pl, Papakura.

Police launched a homicide inquiry and this morning said they had charged a 39-year-old man with murder.

Eddy, who changed his Facebook status to single two days before McCallion's death, did not make an application for bail.

His lawyer, Marie Dhyrberg, asked for his image to be pixellated as she did not yet know if Eddy's identification would be an issue in the case. She said there was the potential of her client advancing an alibi.

She said he was "very distraught" after he was arrested this morning.

Detective Inspector Mark Gutry said the arrest was the result of police enquiries and forensic examinations that took place last week.

McCallion, a former Rosehill College student, will be farewelled in Papakura on Thursday.